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The inaugural EVO NXT event with its new business festival format was a resounding success with exhibitors and visitors alike. Photo credit: Messe Dortmund/Jesus Jimenez Perez
'Networking to the next level' and 'Leading the change' – Exciting innovations and a highly-diverse entertainment program at the first business festival for the NGP sector
The first-ever EVO NXT Business Festival, which débuted at the Palacio de Ferias y Congresos de Málaga (FYCMA) on March 10-11, was a runaway success, welcoming an international business audience, famous companies, and first movers in the NGP (next-generation product) sector who convened in 20°C (70°F) of sunshine to connect, engage, and share information and ideas on innovations, current topics of interest, and all the latest gizmos. The exciting mix of keynote talks, panel discussions, and masterclasses plus a wide-ranging entertainment program created great enthusiasm among the professionals taking part – and the next business festival is now eagerly awaited.
It was something people in the NGP sector had been looking forward to for months: an NGP-specific event covering all relevant topics and trends, yet packaged into a festival that exceeds the boundaries of a conventional trade show.
Four zones for deep dives into the world of NGPs
Whether it was the E-ZONE for e-cigarettes and liquids, the HEAT ZONE for heat-not-burn products, the GREEN ZONE for hemp products, or the LIKE X ZONE for products such as pouches and other alternative products, there was a multitude of things to experience.
Industry giants such as Neafs from the UK and Swedish company Sting Free Snus were in attendance in the HEAT ZONE and the LIKE X-ZONE. The GREEN ZONE featured businesses such as Euphoria Trade from Amsterdam and KIWI (Vapour International) from Croatia had set up a stall in the E-ZONE. These and many other exhibitors ensured that the trade audience which had travelled to Málaga for the weekend had the opportunity to try out innovations and discover interesting technological advancements.
Top international speakers on multiple stages
True to the slogan 'Leading the change', the main focus was the top-class program on the event stages and in masterclasses. Top international speakers such as Dr Derek Yach, one of the leading experts in global public health and with years of experience working for WHO, and Ciprian Boboi, founder and board member of the Independent European Vape Alliance (IEVA), provided information on emerging innovations and regulations within the EU.
The finishing touch to the very first EVO NXT Business Festival was a first-rate entertainment program. 'Networking to the next level' was once again the order of the day at the get-together evening at Club Náutico on Candado Beach on the first evening of the festival.
Delegates' response to the first-ever EVO NXT
“The favourable response from the industry shows that our business festival was perceived as exactly the modern platform we'd planned it to be. The EVO NXT Business Festival will take these ideas on board and, following the inaugural event, will continue to evolve the model in the years ahead,” said Angelika Bauer, head of trade shows at Messe Dortmund, summing up the spirit of optimism within the industry and looking back on the début festival.
EVO NXT 2023 – what the industry had to say
Vapour International d.o.o. (KIWI) c.e.o., Mattia Sparacino, said, “We're pleased to have taken part in the EVO NXT event to showcase our latest generation of electronic cigarettes. As a leader in the development of smoke-free solutions, we are committed to promoting the health of our customers through better and safer alternatives. We would like to thank the EVO NXT organizers for giving us the opportunity to present our innovative products to those attending the event. We're excited to have received many new B2B partnership enquiries and hope to collaborate with them to promote increasingly effective and cleaner solutions to help smokers quit and improve their well-being. Thank you to all the participants for making the event a great success.”
NEAFS Europe S.L. head of UK Market and managing director, Julian Clarke, said,“In a word: brilliant! The stage program included an excellent line-up of speakers from, and for, the industry. We were also able to make valuable business contacts. The EVO NXT approach makes it the first event anywhere in the world to showcase the NGP sector so skilfully. An absolutely unique selling point!”
Independent European Vape Alliance (IEVA) founder and board member, Ciprian Boboi, said, “EVO NXT showed how important international collaboration is in the vaping business. Here in Málaga, we had very important organizations from the EU, UK, and the United States exchanging views on upcoming developments in global e-cigarette regulation. EVO NXT was a very good, well organized forum for doing this in.”
Liquideo international sales manager, Stéphane Nérot, said, “EVO NXT attracted a really high-quality professional audience. Not only was the festival an important bridge into the future, we've also managed to make important contacts for moving forward. Also, the organisers had a great team on site – likeable and easy to approach.”
FLONQ sales director, Europe & UK, Igor Yagubkin, said, “That was one great show. The quality of visitors was superb, and EVO's modern, hybrid approach also turned out to be a real winner. It's great to see international experts encountering exhibitors, products and innovations – and entertainment into the bargain. It's this versatility coupled with the family atmosphere and wonderful location that sets EVO NXT apart.”
Den Norske Snusfabrikken AS, general manager Øyvind Simonsen, said, “For us at Den Norske Snusfabrikken, we're exhibiting for the first time ever. So it's our début too – and it went really well. The quality of EVO delegates is very high. Also, the business festival format is spot-on. It's modern, it delineates strongly vis-à-vis the conventional tobacco industry, as well as creating a link between the vaping and pouch segments. What we're seeing here is not just a new generation of visitors, but also a forum for opening up new export opportunities.”
Next Tröber Europe managing director of Healthygarden GmbH, Dominik Sperling, said, “EVO NXT gave us numerous opportunities for in-depth discussions. The location was fantastic, and the family atmosphere absolutely authentic. With this format, the industry is showing that it doesn't indulge in old-fashioned thinking, but is looking to the future. The business festival exudes the right spirit for exploring the innovations going on in the industry.”